Still In Love
by amessoffand0ms
Summary: Based on the spoilers for the 21st of this month- Zoe has to operate on little Matilda. She's a bit snappy about it to Max, and there's more to it than meets the eye.


Still In Love

 **A/N**

 **Based on the spoilers for the episode on the 21st of this month when little Matilda's life is saved.**

 **Harriet, Daisy, Emily and I were discussing it the other day on Twitter and, as Zoe is seen in the Autumn trailer treating little Matilda, what an utter waste of a Zax scene if Max didn't talk to his wife about it...**

 **Reviews welcome,**

 **Laura xxx**

"Zoe, can I talk to you for a second?" Connie asked.

"Of course" Zoe responded, a slight smile on her face, walking to the other woman. "What is it?"

"Matilda."

"Oh... Cal's maybe daughter?"

"Yes. He's just called saying that she's off her food, there's blood in the little stool that she passes, and that she's not herself. He's going to bring her in. I'm going to ask you to take the case."

"Me? I'm not a specialist in paediatrics." Zoe frowned.

"Listen, you're the only consultant I trust to do it. I don't want Dylan to get involved because it's too soon after what happened. I'd do it myself but I honestly believe that you're the best person for the job."

"Okay..." The other woman sighed. "I'll do it."

"Thank you." Connie placed a hand on Zoe's arm. "It really does mean a lot. Keep me updated, yeah?"

"Of course." Zoe replied.

Zoe stood at the entrance of the ED. Max noticed his wife-well, he considered her a friend now, standing by herself, looking quite scared.

"Zoe?"

The female lifted her head to look at him.

"What's the matter?"

"I have to treat Matilda." Zoe burst out. "I have to treat Matilda."

Max didn't know what to say. "Good luck" he said with a slight smile, knowing how hard it was for her to treat children, especially babies.

"Thank you, it means a lot." She nodded.

"Will you..."

"What?"

"Be okay? You know, what with-"

"Just leave me alone!" Zoe snapped. "I'll be fine, I don't need fussing over." To tell the truth, she wanted nothing more than her husband to wrap her up in his arms, kiss her, and tell her that everything would be okay. But, she couldn't have that any more. She didn't want to talk to him lest she got upset about everything.

"Okay" he held his hands up. "I mean it, I hope that you sort it out."

"Thanks again." She managed a small smile, tears threatening to spill.

He nodded, and left.

"Zoe!"

Zoe spotted Cal, a very ill looking Matilda in his arms, Ethan following.

"Let me" the consultant held her hands out. "What's wrong?"

"She's vomiting, she's passing blood, when Ethan or I put our hands around her tummy she starts screaming." Caleb explained.

"Even the slightest pressure on her abdomen seems to cause her pain." Ethan added.

"Right, let's do a scan, see what's wrong." Zoe strongly suspected a serious bleed in the stomach, but kept quiet as she didn't want to panic Cal or Ethan.

"Oh, Toad..." Cal sighed.

"Toad?" Zoe asked in amusement.

"Oh, it's a nickname."

"I don't see the resemblance" Zoe gazed at the little girl. "You don't look like a toad!" She cooed, a smile on her face-Matilda was adorable.

A few scans were run, and Zoe was right, Matilda did have a serious bleed.

"What's the situation?" Asked Connie, Zoe had stepped out for a moment whilst Matilda returned from the scans.

"Embolism in the abdomen, as I suspected."

"Okay." Connie inhaled, her mind turning over the other woman's words. "How are you going to proceed?"

"Operation, as soon as. I have no choice but to do it in Resus, Matilda could be in serious trouble."

The Clinical Lead nodded. "Are you sure? She could die."

"Not with me she won't." Zoe held her gaze. "Please, Connie. I'm sure that Cal would prefer someone he knows and trusts to do it, rather than a stranger."

"I know." Connie responded with a nod.

Zoe explained the situation to Caleb.

"Right... So you're saying that she could die?" He asked, gazing at his daughter who was laying on a bed in Resus, cooing away, completely oblivious.

"Yes." Zoe nodded.

"But if we leave the bleed, it could get worse?"

Zoe nodded. "It's a tear in her stomach, we could give her some drugs which will help to stop it, the operative word being help. It won't stop in completely, whereas an operation will." The consultant explained to the registrar-he knew all of this information, but she knew that he wouldn't be thinking medically.

"Let's do it." He decided.

"Cal, are you sure?" Ethan asked his brother.

Caleb nodded. "I trust Zoe, don't you? To be honest, I wouldn't have anyone else do it."

Ethan nodded in agreement, looking at Zoe.

The deputy Clinical Lead felt their eyes boring into her-she had a huge responsibility. She was nervous, but not scared, she had faith that she would be able to save the little girl.

Zoe let the other staff know what was happening, and asked Rita to assist her.

The operation went smoothly, Zoe found the source of the bleeding and managed to stop it.

"I'll stay and let Ethan and Cal know when she wakes up." Said Rita.

"No, it's okay, I'll do it." Zoe offered, she felt that it was her duty.

"If you're sure?"

Zoe nodded, a smile on her face. "Matilda's a little sweetheart, I'm sure that I can cope!"

Unbeknownst to any of them, Max had been watching through the blinds the entire time. He had seen the look of total fear on Zoe's face when she was waiting for Cal to get to the hospital, and decided to support her, even though she didn't know that he was there.

Out of habit, he nipped to the hospital cafe to get her a coffee-it was routine whenever he saw that she was stressed.

Zoe gazed at the little girl on the bed-her eyes closed, completely unaware of the situation that she was in. The consultant had no idea what would happen if it turned out that Matilda wasn't Cal's-he wouldn't let her go, he had bonded with her-he couldn't exactly keep her, either.

"Zoe?" Max's voice distracted her.

"Yes?" she turned around.

"I brought you a coffee." He handed her the beverage. "I thought that you might need it, after the last couple of hours."

"Thank you" she responded as she took a sip- Max knew her favourite drink- coffee, one sugar, with a shot of vanilla.

"Wait" she found herself saying as he turned to leave.

"What is it?"

"The reason why I was so short with you earlier is because I wanted nothing more than... " she took a breath. "Than for you to wrap me up in your arms, kiss me, and tell me that everything would be okay. The truth is, I'm still in love with you. "

"Oh, Zoe... I feel the same way. I miss you, so much. I miss your smile, I miss our fag breaks, I miss kissing you, I miss falling asleep with you in my arms. I miss you."

"I..." Zoe decided not to speak, instead she stood up, and kissed him, with all the pain and the love that she could.

Max kissed her back, relishing the moment.

A tear slipped down Zoe's cheek. "What does this mean?" She asked when they stopped.

"It means that, " he said, wiping the tear away with his thumb "that I want us to put the past behind us."

"I want that too- a fresh start."

"A fresh start." Max agreed. "A clean slate."

A smile tugged at the consultant's lips. "Yes. A clean slate for Mr and Mrs Walker."

Matilda interrupted the couple's tender moment with a cry.

"It's okay, you're safe" Zoe's instincts took over and she lifted the little girl up and into her arms. "It's okay, let's go and tell your Daddy and Uncle that you're absolutely fine" she cooed, rocking her gently.

Max took the scene in with a smile. "You know, you'd make a great Mum."

Zoe blushed, and dipped her head. "Perhaps" she admitted. "Let's go and tell Cal and Ethan the happy news."

The brothers were waiting in the staffroom, they both stood up when Zoe and Max entered the room.

"How is she?" Caleb asked.

"Absolutely fine, I managed to stop the bleeding." Zoe responded, handing Matilda back to the registrar.

"Thank you, Zoe. If there's anything that we can do in return..?"

"It's okay," the consultant said. "If you ever need anyone to babysit, Max and I would be more than happy to."

Caleb and Ethan nodded, Max and Zoe decided to leave them to it.

"You know what you said about how I'd make a great Mum?" Zoe asked her husband.

"Yes?"

"Well..." she beamed as she slipped a hand into his. "If you'd like, we could discuss the option about becoming parentss over a drink at home? If you'd like to, that is..."

"Of course, and I'd like to move back in, if Robyn can bear to let me go" Max chuckled.

Zoe nodded. "That would be great. Oh, I need to see Connie about Matilda's progress."

They went to Connie's office. Zoe knocked on the door.

"Come in " called the Clinical Lead.

Zoe popped her head round the door. "Matilda is absolutely fine. I stopped the bleeding, she's just come round and she's with Cal and Ethan."

"Okay, that's good. I'm sorry for doubting you before. " Connie apologised.

"After how quiet I've been on the last few weeks, it's understandable."

Connie noticed Max standing nearly out of view. "So...?"

"Max and I are making a fresh start- no more dwelling on the past." Zoe smiled- Mr and Mrs Walker were ready for whatever the world had to throw at them.


End file.
